


Rule 31

by Questions3



Series: Rules and Regulations [4]
Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Actual Thief Bilbo Baggins, BAMF Belladonna Took Baggins, BAMF Bilbo Baggins, Female Bilbo, Gen, Mother-Daughter Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-04
Updated: 2017-01-04
Packaged: 2018-09-14 15:09:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9187889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Questions3/pseuds/Questions3
Summary: There’s always Something to Learn





	

            Bilbo had been in rare form since they’d left the Mountain. She wasn’t sure what had happened; as the lass wasn’t forthcoming with details save she’d been with her little scribe friend. And that she could take care of herself. Something she’d _growled_ at her mother as the paired been packing to leave. Bofur’d been in the room at the time and had done the sensible thing. He’d patted his wee bit o’ Trouble’s cheek and hugged her tight before bidding the pair safe travels. And then he’d fled like a damned dickless curr.

            Bella was only angry about it because she didn’t have the same luxury; this was her faunt after all. And possibly her fault for all she knew. They’d been traveling for a month now on their way home for her snapdragon’s birthday but nothing seemed to have improved. If anything it had gotten worse. Instead of talking to her mother the wee thing had been surly and silent the whole time. She was listless and rather harsh to the ponies even, who weren’t near deserving as all that, for all they were rather ragged nags.

            Finally, two weeks out from the Shire Bella saw a change in Bilbo’s attitude, the lass was smiling again at least, and talking to her mother, but now it seemed to be with a certain bent to it she normally reserved for that bald guardsman or her more annoying relations. She’d never turned it on Bella before. As the chit kept talking the day away trying to get a rise out of her mother all Bella could do was watch her. She could understand the need for a good knock down dirty fight but she’d like to know the _reason_ beforehand. As such she wasn’t letting her daughter have her way until things became a bit clearer to the mother.

            And it did as they were camping a day out from home when she saw her Bilbo sitting near the fire caressing a locket she hadn’t seen in a time. An old Birthday present from her Bungo to his peach blossom.

            Seeing her mother eyeing her as she pet the locket Bilbo instantly bristled and put the thing away. But the damaged been done, “You needn’t hide it Bilbo. It’s good you keep him close. If you’d like we can talk about him. I know it’s been a while since we’ve done so.” And it had been some time. He was never far from Bella’s mind but she didn’t wish to disrupt her faunt’s healing with her own grief. Of course, looking at Bilbo, now, perhaps that was a misstep.

            “You should mind yourself mother. I’m fine.”

            “As you wish,” Bella nodded softly as she rose to check on the ponies.

            The soft response after such a harsh one was what finally broke the youngling’s hold as Bilbo tried to keep her emotions in check and ignore the guilt that had been building and rolling in her at how she was treating her mother. She just didn’t know what else to do, who else to spit fire at. She was so angry and sad and just wanted her papa and UGH!

            Bella caught the stick as it came for her head and twirled it before falling into a defensive pose. Seeing the instigating light in her snapdragon’s eyes she quirked a brow and announced with no nonsense as she pointed the branch at her, “Your cheek does you no favors.” Throwing the stick down she turned back to the pony.

            “Of course it does,” Bilbo disagreed as she picked up her own stick and attacked her mother’s back. She should know better than to turn her back to a threat. She’d taught her that herself as it were.

            Hearing the less than nimble fumbling of her faunt Bella frowned and rolled backwards towards and under her guard coming up with her discarded branch. The pair exchanged blows for a few moments. Bilbo pressing her advantage, staying within her own reach and closing to give Bella less maneuverability. Seeing the frustration rising high in her daughter’s honey eyes Bella decided to end this sooner than later. She locked them in a defense, weapons blocking each other perpendicular as Bilbo bore down on her crouching mother, “No, dearheart, it doesn’t.” With little effort she used Bilbo’s weight and force against her and had the lass stumbling into the grass behind her. Before the lass could right herself she slapped her branch across the faunt’s cheek and slapped her weapon from her lax, shocked grip. Turning the kneeling child’s face up to her own with the end of her branch she saw the thin smear of blood where her Bilbo had spilt the cost of this lesson. Smiling wryly down into the embarrassed face she asked liltingly, “Now, what did you do wrong?”

            Mutiny was short lived as Bilbo huffed a sigh at her own foolishness, “I underestimated my opponent and let my emotions and pride rule my actions. And I didn’t talk to you about how I was missing Papa.” Guilt flittered over the soft face as tears fell anew at the present wound she’d tried to cause her mother.

            Pursing her lips Bella allowed it and retracted her branch offering her faunt her hand to aid her rising. Pulling the pouting thing into a tight hug she whispered into her snapdragon’s ear, “And what did you do right?”

            Bilbo’s smile was watery as she sniffled into her mother’s hair, “I stayed in my reach and kept to my advantage and my opponents disadvantage.”

            “And you recognized your own weaknesses. There’s always room for growth, but you can’t do anything if you’re fool head isn’t open to it. Good!” Bella pulled back and brushed the tears from her little ones face. Her own tears wiped back by her daughter’s hands. She missed him too, though she was a bit more controlled than her Bilbo. Smile a twin to the weak washy thing on her daughter she sniffed and turned an eye to the damaged cheek and clucked, “Let’s get this cleaned up, then. We’ll be home in a day or two and I don’t need to give your Gramma any more fuel than she already has.”


End file.
